Decorative structures, particularly edible decorative structures, such as gingerbread houses, are well-known. Such structures are routinely made and displayed, especially for specially occasions, such as birthdays or Christmas. Children, in particular, enjoy participating in the decorating process. Historically, assembly of a gingerbread house has been an awkward and time-consuming task. Icing, in particular icings having an egg white base, such as royal icing, have traditionally been used to bond the individual panels of a structure together. The icing method is difficult to implement due to the amount of drying time required. Gingerbread house builders typically need a great degree of patience and may rely upon some sort of makeshift propping system to help stabilize the structure while the icing is setting. The icing assembly method can therefore be a frustrating experience for both adults and children. The frustration often limits enjoyment of the finished structure and may even prevent completion of the structure.
The need therefore remains for systems and methods for creating a decorative structure that are time and cost-efficient. The need further remains for systems and methods that permit ease of assembly while maintaining an acceptable degree of stability throughout the assembly process.